Yankee Candle Narrows Loss

The Yankee Candle Co. Inc. posted a net loss of $7.9 million for the first quarter, compared to a net loss of $22.6 million in the prior year.

The South Deerfield, MA firm reported revenue of $140.9 million, for the quarter ended March 29, a 1.5% decrease from $143 million last year.

The firm said that total retail comparable sales, including its Consumer Direct business, were flat in comparison to the prior year quarter.

The direct marketer and retailer attributed these results in part to “decreased sales to existing domestic wholesale customers who continue to be cautious regarding their inventory positions and decreased comparable store sales in our retail business.”